rife

adjective

ˈrīf How to pronounce rife (audio)
Definition of rifenext
as in filled
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rife Speculation was rife; one unproven theory was that someone had heated the sensor with a hairdryer. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 The returnees have strained local communities, many of which already have scant resources in a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition stalks the most vulnerable. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 Trump has repeatedly called for this prohibition, falsely claiming that mail-in voting is rife with fraud. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026 Isakov spoke of the pain his parents had endured, his nine siblings having died young in the 1930s and 1940s, when poverty and disease were rife across the region. — Colin Millar, New York Times, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rife
  1. filled
  2. crowded
  3. fraught
  4. abundant
  5. awash
  6. packed
  7. teeming
  8. jammed
Adjective
  • Maybe the sign-up flow has too many fields, the first action users need to take isn't obvious or there's a setting that should have been pre-filled.
    — Kelli Behan-Aspland, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Wall Street Journal featured Reese alongside WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson on its magazine cover, even after Caitlin Clark broke numerous records, filled arenas, and set new marks for WNBA broadcasts.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Definition of filled
Adjective
  • As neighborhoods become more crowded, smaller cars are easier to maneuver.
    — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Many brands, particularly in today’s ever-more crowded and competitive makeup environment, might have launched anyway.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of crowded
Adjective
  • Fraught relationship Even though all three are Democratic members of the House, Moskowitz and Wasserman Schultz have a fraught relationship with Tlaib.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In a series of essays in Foreign Affairs over the past few years, Westad has explored the drivers of China’s foreign policy, its approach to global power, and its fraught ties with the United States.
    — Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraught
Adjective
  • Pious femininity was being acted out with costumes, makeup, and abundant use of amen.
    — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Although bacteria are the most abundant members, the gut is also home to archaea, fungi, viruses, and other agents.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of abundant
Adjective
  • This summer’s street style galleries have been awash with wide-leg jeans, worn in countless ways that prove there is no one-size-fits-all formula.
    — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026
  • And that’s quite clear today, as the internet is awash with advice about what to eat, wear, pump up and slim down.
    — Michael Kimmel, Time, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of awash
Adjective
  • Mengi The longest independent music venue in the city, this spot can house 50-ish people on a packed day, and that’s precisely its charm.
    — Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Despite long lines and packed seating, travelers keep flocking to airport lounges for one key perk.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of packed
Adjective
  • The new findings are confounding scientists’ expectations, raising questions about how exactly molecules can encounter their reactive partners in a teeming, crowded space — and therefore how cells can possibly function.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of teeming
Adjective
  • Even when turned off, internal components like microswitches or thermal relays can fail or become jammed by breadcrumbs, potentially causing the heating element to turn on unexpectedly.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Thousands have fled on jammed roads as officials said even more communities could be threatened.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of jammed

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Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rife. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of rife for Spanish Speakers

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